My Generation

One of the things I am most proud about with my blog is that I managed not to talk about the election for almost the entire election season (and that season was about 2 years too long in my opinion).

However, now that the election is over and behind us, I can’t help but want to say something about what has happened in the last week here in the good ol’ USA. Honestly, I started noticing it awhile ago. Everyone has said it – this was the election that got people interested and excited. This was going to pull out my generation to vote in unheard of numbers. And, I think they were right. What made me sad about that is that my generation was apparently apathetic about politics until now.

Maybe it’s an age thing – maybe we all have ‘real’ jobs and mortgages and car payments to worry about now, so we actually care.

Maybe more of our friends have fought in wars, battled disease or something else.

Maybe we held onto that child-like innocence as long as we could and this was the time we decided it was important to stand for something.

So, my question is this – why did it take so long? Why did we keep our apathy for so many years? I’ve been an adult of legal voting age for 11 years – and I’ve voted in every election – but why did so many people decide to care this year?

I have a sneaking suspicion that the arrival of our president-elect on the scene had something to do with that. I have a feeling he made people excited about something at just the same time that they realized they needed to care about our country. And, I have no qualms about that.

I just hope in four years, in eight years, in forty years, my generation is still inspired enough to vote, to ask for change, and to demand their voice be heard.

I was taught that you didn’t ask people who they voted for and you didn’t tell people who you voted for, but I can say this – my candidate is not preparing to move to the White House today. So, even though the election may have not gone down like I wanted, I am still glad that more people found their voice, and hopefully that passion will continue on into years and years to come.